<html>
<head>
<meta name="generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 10">
<meta http-equiv="content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="date" content="11/16/2004">
<meta name="author" content="Nancy Warren">
<style>
p
{
margin-top: 0px;
margin-bottom: 1px
}
body
{
font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;
font-size: 12pt;
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span> </span></span></span></p>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">November 17, 2004 <i>(11:30 a.m. EST )</i> No. 131</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">MINISTER PETERSON ATTENDS THE CANADA-CHILE </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">FREE TRADE COMMISSION MEETING </span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">International Trade Minister Jim Peterson and Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister
Ignacio Walker participated yesterday in the fifth meeting of the Canada-Chile Free
Trade Commission in Santiago, Chile, on the eve of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation(APEC) Joint Ministerial Meeting. Minister Peterson welcomed the progress
that has been made to date in the implementation of the Canada-Chile Free Trade
Agreement (CCFTA).</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Commercial relations between our two countries have flourished under the
Agreement,” said Minister Peterson. “It is an outstanding example of how trade
liberalization benefits citizens and businesses in both countries.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Minister Peterson and Minister Walker reiterated their commitment to implement the
CCFTA, and to review ongoing work. They took note of the progress in the negotiations
to add a government procurement chapter to the CCFTA, and adopted two declarations
that improve the transparency and efficiency of the investment chapter. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The declaration on non-disputing party submissions helps to clarify the process for
third-party submissions in investor-state arbitration. The declaration on open hearings
confirms Canada and Chile’s intention to request that all investor-state arbitral hearings
be open to the public.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The two ministers noted that the agreements on labour and environmental cooperation,
which were signed together with the CCFTA, have helped to enhance Canada-Chile
relations. These agreements have enabled the two countries to discuss labour and
environment issues in an atmosphere of mutual trust.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The meeting was also an opportunity for both Ministers to exchange views on other
forums. Specifically, the ministers:</span></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.5in; margin-left: 0.5in"> </p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.5in; margin-left: 0.5in"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">•<span>         </span>committed to working with other World Trade Organization (WTO) members
toward an ambitious outcome in the lead-up to the next WTO Ministerial
Conference in Hong Kong;</span></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.5in; margin-left: 0.5in"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">•<span>         </span>reaffirmed their commitment to concluding a comprehensive and high-quality
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement; and </span></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.5in; margin-left: 0.5in"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">•<span>         </span>discussed the important contribution that APEC is making to promoting trade and
investment in the Asia Pacific region.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Minister Peterson also took the opportunity to reiterate the importance of reopening
Chile’s market to Canadian beef exports. “Trade resumption should be based on
science,” he said.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Two-way goods trade between Canada and Chile reached $1.2 billion in 2003, an
increase of 68 percent over its level in 1997, when the Agreement came into force.
“Investment has also been a clear success of the CCFTA. Canada is now the third-largest investor in Chile, after the United States and Spain,” added Minister Peterson.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Following the Commission meeting, Minister Peterson and his Chilean counterpart
released a joint statement that can be found at
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20071206233417/http://www.international.gc.ca/tna-nac/bilateral-en.asp#01b"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca/tna-nac/bilateral-en.asp#01b</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"> </span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">-30-</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Jacqueline LaRocque</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Director of Communications</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Office of the Minister of International Trade</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">(613) 992-7332</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Media Relations Office</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">(613) 995-1874</span></span></span></p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20071206233417/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
</body>
</html>
